NEWYou can now listen to PK Press Club articles!
Lionel Messi and Argentina will meet Egypt in the Round of 16 of the 2026 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday, July 7, 2026 at 12:00 p.m. ET from Atlanta Stadium.
Argentina remained undefeated in the group stage, beating Algeria 3–0 in their first match, Austria 2–0 in their second match and Jordan 3–1 in their third match. In the round of 16, Cape Verde’s Cinderella World Cup gave the defending champions all they could handle, but Argentina prevailed 3-2 in overtime. Lionel Messi is tied with Norwegian Erling Haaland and Frenchman Kylian Mbappé at the top of the rankings. Race for the Golden Bootscoring seven times in the tournament so far.
Egypt drew 1-1 against Belgium in their first match, beat New Zealand 3-1 in their second match, drew 1-1 against Iran in their third match and drew 1-1 against Australia before advancing on penalties in the round of 16.
Below are the details on how to watch.
How to watch Argentina vs Egypt
Argentina vs Egypt Preview
Lionel Messi against the Egyptian last line is the most obvious pressure point in this match.
Argentina always goes through Messi, and he is in great shape. Argentina also keeps the ball well and creates a constant flow of attacking sequences, so Messi will likely continue to hit the points that decide matches.
Egypt has enough resistance to make this battle a reality. Mohamed Salah was their main creator with 15 chances created. Egypt’s crossing play was productive enough to score 3 headed goals, meaning they can force Argentina to defend and keep Messi from going alive in the final third the entire game. If Egypt can survive these early touches from Messi and force Argentina to defend a wide serve and second balls, the game remains tense.
Watch the first sequence when Messi starts to find pockets around the box, because that will tell you if Egypt contains the best finisher of the tournament or if they spend the day struggling.
Player to watch
Lionel Messi
Before
Argentina
It’s hard to think of things that haven’t been said about Messi, but the Inter Miami forward has now scored in eight consecutive World Cup matches. During his career, Messi has 12 goals in the round of 16 of the World Cup. He remains at the heart of everything Argentina does, and even at his age, that could be enough for Argentina to win a second consecutive title.
Argentina vs Egypt odds
Learn more about Argentina vs Egypt and check out the full FIFA World Cup schedule on FOX Sports!
Want great stories delivered straight to your inbox? Create or log in to your FOX Sports account, follow leagues, teams and players to receive a personalized newsletter daily.
